Competition Winners

The winners of the 2026 International Competitions have now been announced following an exciting afternoon of Poetry Readings and Prize Giving during the Festival.

Entrants from around the world competed in four categories of poetry and storytelling for prizes totalling £5,000.

Everyone who reached the shortlist received an explanation from the judges as to why their work was awarded a prize, and was invited to the ceremony. Some travelled to the event to read out their own work, while those who could not be there in person sent in a video.

Entries for the Young Poets’ section rose substantially this year thanks to the deadline being extended by a month to avoid the summer exam period.

To find out who won, click the button below or navigate from the Competitons area of the main menu. This will give you the names of the winners in each of the four categories. If you click on these in turn you can read all the winning entries.